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Tim Thomas Doesn’t Need To Stop Pucks

Total Pro Sports – I could not believe my eyes yesterday watching the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Center. I did a double take at the video scoreboard to make sure I saw what I thought I had seen take place on the ice.

Jason Blake came roaring down the wing and cut to the net, as he cut to the net goalie Tim Thomas decided the only way he was going to stop Blake (who earlier beat him for a goal) was to lunge at him with his blocker and glove. Thomas used a double armed close line technique and never recieved a penalty for it.

“Thomas is the man. And I have no idea what is wrong with this play. Thomas checks a player. There is nothing in the rules that says he can’t. If Jason Blake doesn’t get his a$$ handed to him from Brian Burke, it will be because he is on waivers (yeah, won’t happen, I know). Dude, you just got checked by a goalie.” Via Puck Daddy and Jerseys And Hockey Love

This is not the first time Thomas has hit a player, a couple of weeks ago against the Montreal Canadiens Tim Thomas hit an unexpected Andrei Kostitsyn who was crossing in front of the net and a fight ensued.

Is Tim Thomas double armed close line a legal play in hockey? We think not, but if a goalie can hit a player and not get a penalty, then we think players should be able to body check a goalie when they come out of their crease.